Shofar FTP Archive File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-54.17

Archive/File: imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-06/tgmwc-06-54.17
Last-Modified: 1998/01/04
GENERAL RUDENKO: If it please your Honours, Colonel Karev
will report on the order of submitting the documents to the
Tribunal.
[Page 199]
COLONEL S.D. KAREV: The Soviet prosecution begins its
presentation of evidence on all Counts of the Indictment.
The Tribunal is already familiar with the large number of
important documents presented on behalf of the prosecution
by our honourable colleagues. On its own part the Soviet
prosecution has at its disposal numerous documents relating
to the criminal activities of the Fascist conspirators.
In connection with Count I, dealing with the Crimes against
Peace, we will submit the following types of documents:
administrative regulations by the German authorities, orders
and plans by the German military command, diaries and
personal files of several of the leaders of the Fascist
Party and the German Government, as well as other documents.
These documents were in part found by units of the Red Army
on German soldiers and officers, or were discovered in
concentration camps and in offices of German authorities.
In connection with Counts II and III, that is, War Crimes
and Crimes against Humanity, we shall offer in evidence, in
the first place, the communiques and the official reports of
the Extraordinary Government Commission for the
Determination and Investigation of Crimes Committed by the
German Fascist Invaders and their Accomplices.
This Commission was set up by the decree of the Presidium of
the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., dated 2nd November,
1942. For local work there were set up Republican, Regional
and District Municipal Commissions to assist in the work of
the Extraordinary Government Commission for the
Determination and Investigation of the Crimes Committed by
the German Fascist invaders. Both the central office, as
well as the local offices of the Extraordinary State
Commission, were composed of prominent statesmen and
representatives of different public research and cultural
organisations, as well as of religious denominations.
The Extraordinary State Commission, through its
representatives, for whose assistance of representatives of
local groups and local State authorities were called in, has
collected and checked data and drawn up protocols on the
atrocities of the German invaders and on the damage caused
to the Soviet Union and its citizens.
Counting only the crimes committed by the German Fascist
monsters against the peaceful citizens of the Soviet Union,
54,784 protocols were drawn up. In accordance with Article
21 of the Charter of the International Military Tribunal,
these protocols unquestionably represent admissible
evidence. Of all these protocols of the Extraordinary State
Commission, only an insignificant number will at present be
submitted to the Tribunal by the Soviet prosecution.
In the possession of the Soviet prosecution are also
photographs showing the atrocities and destruction committed
by the German invaders in the territories of the U.S.S.R.
they had temporarily occupied. Part of these photographs
will be submitted to the Tribunal. Several documentary films
will be offered to the Tribunal in evidence by the Soviet
prosecution.
In submitting evidence relating to war crimes committed by
the conspirators, the Soviet prosecution will also use
several German documents, photographs, and films which were
captured from the Germans. The Soviet prosecution will also
submit evidence relative to crimes committed by the
defendants and their accomplices against Czechoslovakia,
Poland and Yugoslavia. Among this evidence special mention
must be made of the official report by the Czechoslovakian
Government entitled "German Crimes against Czechoslovakia."
This report was prepared on the direction of the
Czechoslovakian Government by the Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary, Dr. Bohuslav Ecer, the
representative of Czechoslovakia in the United Nations
Commission for Investigation of War Crimes.
There are documents appended to the official report
regarding German crimes against Czechoslovakia. Among these
documents there are laws,
[Page 200]
decrees, orders, et cetera, issued and officially published
by the German Fascist authorities; documents from the
archives of the Czechoslovak Government; and affidavits by
persons who held prominent positions in Czechoslovakia
during the occupation.
There will be shown a special film concerning the
destruction of Lidice. It was, in its time, prepared by
official German agencies. The film was found by officials of
the Czechoslovakian Ministry of the Interior.
The official report on the German crimes against
Czechoslovakia, as well as the documents appended thereto,
on the strength of Article 21 of the Charter of the
International Military Tribunal, represent unquestionable
evidence and will be presented to the Tribunal as Exhibit
USSR 60.
The Soviet prosecution will likewise present evidence
regarding the crimes perpetrated by the conspirators in
Poland. The basic document to be presented on this subject
by the Soviet prosecution will be the report of the Polish
Government dated 22nd January, 1946. The official documents
of the Polish Government were the primary source of the
report of the Polish Government on the German crimes
committed in Poland. Both the official report of the Polish
Government and the documents appended thereto, on the
strength of Article 21 of the Charter of the International
Military Tribunal represent unquestionable evidence.
And finally, the Soviet Delegation will present to the
Tribunal documents concerning the crimes of German invaders
committed on Yugoslav territory.
The investigation of the criminal activity of the German
Command and of the German occupational authorities in
Yugoslavia was carried out by the Yugoslav State Commission
for the investigation of Crimes committed by the German
occupants. The Commission was created on 29th November,
1943, by a decision of the Yugoslav Anti-Fascist Council for
the National Liberation of Yugoslavia. This commission
which, from the beginning, has always been presided over by
Dr. Douchan Nedelkovitsch, professor at Belgrade University,
started its work when a part of Yugoslavia was still under
the domination of the German, Italian, Hungarian and other
occupants.
Besides the Yugoslav State Commission, the investigation of
the crimes committed by the German Fascist invaders was
carried out by eight specially created Federal Commissions,
as well as by District and Regional Commissions. On the
strength of the material collected, the Yugoslav State
Commission has issued 53 communiques describing the
atrocities committed by the German occupants, and submits a
report of the Yugoslav State Commission dated the 26th
December, 1945.
This report represents unquestionable evidence, and is
submitted by us as Exhibit USSR 36.
It is my duty to mention that documentary evidence which has
been already presented by our honourable American, British,
and French colleagues will, to some extent, be used by the
representatives of the Soviet prosecution.
May it please your Honours, in conclusion I would like to
make known to the Tribunal the order in which the
prosecutors from the U.S.S.R. will present their case.
The Count dealing with the Crimes against Peace (aggression
against Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia) will be
presented by Colonel Pokrovsky, the U.S.S.R. Deputy Chief
Prosecutor.
The Count dealing with "The Aggression Against the U.S.S.R."
will be presented by State Counsellor of Justice, Third
Class, M. Zorya.
Thereupon, Colonel Pokrovsky will present to the Tribunal
the crimes committed in violation of the laws and customs of
war relating to the treatment of prisoners of war.
The Count "Crimes Against the Peaceful Population of the
U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia" will be
presented by Chief Counsellor of Justice Smirnov.
[Page 201]
Report on the subject of the "Plunder of Private, Public and
State Property" will be made by General Shenin, State
Counsellor of Justice of the Second Class.
Report on the "Plunder and Destruction of Cultural
Treasures" and "Wanton Destruction and Annihilation of Towns
and Villages" will be presented by M. Raginsky, State
Counsellor of Justice of the Second Class.
State Counsellor of Justice of the Third Class, M. Zorya,
will speak on the subject of "Forced Labour and Deportation
into German Slavery."
Finally, the Senior Counsellor of Justice, Colonel Smirnov,
will present the report on the last subject, "Crimes against
Humanity."
I now end my statement.

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